Heat treating tray



Nov. 10, 1964 P. s. MENouGH 3,156,456

HEAT TREATING TRAY Filed May 1o, -1955 4 sheets-sheet 1 l Tw-Tu. 3J

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HEAT TREmNG TRAY Filed May 10, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 k v j Y ll O/A IN VENTOR. PAUL s. MEA/@UGH BY R/CHE s; WA frs, Eo 65E i MfNEA//vr A 'TOENEVS Nov. l0, 1964 P. s. MENouGH HEAT TREATING TRAY 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 10, 1955 @lc/4E); WA

United States Patent Gil ice 3,156,456 HEAT TREATING TRAY Paul S. Menough, Rocky River, Ohio, assigner to Dale A. Vondel-au, Cleveland, Ohio Filed May 10, 1955, Ser. No. 507,270 1 Claim. (Cl. 263-47) The present invention relates generally to heat treating trays and more particularly to a novel grid and frame and a heat treating tray incorporating these elements which has special utility and holds important advantages over devices of this type heretofore known.

There are a number of features which must he combined to produce the ideal heat treating tray. It is, for one thing, important that these trays be made easily and with a minimum of labor time and skill. Also, ease f disassembly for repair or replacement of parts is important. At the same time, heat treating trays must be strong and rugged enough for service over protracted periods under the rigorous conditions which they meet in use in heat treating operations such as sudden heating and quenching from elevated temperatures. They must, therefore, be Warp and rack-proof and so constructed as to be free from thermal shock and from stresses resulting from temperature and dimension changes and differentials commonly developed in the usual use of these trays. Still further, trays of this type should be versatile and adaptable for various special purposes and needs. Thus, they must be adaptable as to size and shape and also as to the presence or absence of a frame in addition to the basic grid unit.

The present invention provides a heat treating tray which uniquely combines all the foregoing desirable features and therefore is of special importance in this iield. Also, this invention provides a novel heat treating tray grid and a new heat treating tray frame for use with this grid when the service to which the grid is to be put is especially severe, requiring the substantial additional strength provided by a cast or fabricated frame structure.

Those skilled in the art will gain a further and better understanding of this invention upon consideration of the detailed description below taken in conjunction with the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specication, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a heat treating tray embodying this invention in a preferred forni; l

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional View taken on line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken online 3 3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan View of a tray of another preferred form of tray of this invention;

FIG. 5 is a side-elevational View of the tray-of FIG. 4; Y

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, side-elevational view of the tray of FIG. 4 showing the tie bar receiving slots on the medial lines of the outer load bar;

FIG. 7 is an elevational sectional view taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary, plan View of atie bar of the FIG. 4 tray; l

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary plan view of an alternative form of the tray grid of this invention;

FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of the tray of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary plan View of a heat treating grid embodying this invention; Y Y

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary side elevational view of an alternative form of load bar showing the relationship of the tie bars to the load bar;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary plan view of the grid of FIG. 12;

Patented Nov. 10, 1964 FIG. 14 is a plan view of another form of heat treating tray embodying the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a side-elevational view of the tray of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is an end elevational view of the FIG. 14 tray; and

FIG. 17 is a fragmentary perspective view of another heating tray grid of this invention.

More in detail and with particular reference to FIGS. 1-3, inclusive, a typical heat treating tray of this invention comprises a frame 1li of generally rectangular shape in plan and of channel section, as is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Preferably, this frame is of fabricated construction, but it may be made as a casting without loss of the advantages enumerated above. At intervals along the sides and the ends of the frame, slots 11 and 12 are provided in the web portions to receive grid members constituting the load-engaging portion of the tray. Openings 11 extend along the medial lines of the side and end portions, respectively, of the frame and are of length slightly greater than the width or height of the grid elements so that the latter may be introduced into the tray through these slots. The spacing of the flanges of the tray channels is such that the side and end portions of the grid may be received in the channel sections and supported in assembled relation with the frame, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The grid of this assembly comprises a plurality of load bars 15 extending lengthwise of the tray and disposed on edge and at regularintervals across the width of the tray. Each load bar 15 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally-extending slots 17 disposed along themedial lines of the load bars for registry with slots 11 in the'sides of frame 10.

A plurality of iiat tie bars Ztl are disposed on their sides and transversely of the tray, extending through registered openings 17 and I1. Tie bars Ztl, after being inserted into the tray through the said registered openings, are locked in place loosely with the frame and load bars by bending tongue portions 22 between adjacent load bars so that they are disposed out of register with slots 17. By bending these portions back into alignment with openings 17 and 11, the tie bars can be removed from the tray for repair or replacement.

Referring to FIGS. 4 8, inclusive, the tray illustrated therein does not include a separate fabricated or cast frame, but is made up of a grid structure similar to the grid of the tray of FIG. 1 in which outer two load bars 25, together with the two end tie bars 26 and keeper bar members 27, constitute the frame element. c Guide members 30 are integrally formed with bars 25 and located at the four corners of the tray. As illustrated, load bars '25 are of length greater than the other load barsrof the and 33, respectively, disposed along their medial lines at intervals so that when these bars are aranged to deiine a tray, the respective slots are aligned in five series transversely of the tray. FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 illustrate this construction to best advantage.

The five tie bars 26 of Lthis trayall are, as shown in FIG. 8, flat metal members having a series of notches 37 formed in one of their edge portions, these notches being spaced at regular intervals approximating the distance to be established and maintained between adjacent load bars in the assembly tray. Tie bars 26 are disposed on their sides in a substantially common plane and at right angles to the load bars sov that a longitudinal edge portion 33 (FIG. S) of each tie bar is directed toward an edge of the grid, that is, toward one end of the grid. When the tie bars are disposed in place, tabs or tongues 39 between adjacent siots in these bars are turned or bent so that these portions are out of alignment with the registered openings in the load bars. As shown in FIG. 5, the tabs are bent sufficiently that the end portions thereof are disposed in the plane of the top or the bottom of the tray. Also, some of the tabs, suitably alternate ones, are bent upwardly toward the top of the tray, while the others are bent downwardly. The tie bars are of width approximating the length of slots 33, and keeper bars 27 and intermediate keeper bars 40 of width approximating the length of notches 37 are provided to fill out space between the tie bars and ends of slots 33 when the tie bars are disposed in assembled relation with the load bars. Keeper bars 4d are of about the same length and the same thickness as the tie bars so that they are readily introduced into the tray and secured loosely therein by means of pins 41 disposed through openings in their extremities outside the outer load bars 25, as shown in FIG. 7. Keeper bars 27 are secured in place by weids to load bars and are provided with end portions extending outwardly to engage guide members 3@ for squaring and bracing eiicects. Thus, keeper bars 27 and tie bars associated with them cannot be removed until one of the members 3i) bearing against the keeper bar is opened, and the keeper bar welds are cut away.

The FIG. 9 tray generally resembles that of FIG. 4 in that it is made up of a plurality of flat, longitudinallyextending load bars 45 disposed on edge and provided with elongated openings 46 along their medial lines. This tray, however, differs from the FIG. 4 device in that tie bars 4S and 49 are disposed in pairs through aligned load bar openings. Each tie bar extends the full width of the tray with end portions disposed through the outer load bars, but these tie bars are of thickness about one-half the width of slots 46 so that an upper tie bar 48 and lower tie bar 49 are disposed through the same aligned openings with bar 4S resting on bar 49. Portions of the upper and lower tie bars are turned at substantially right angles to the engaged portions of these elements in the sections between adjacent load bars in order that the tie bars will be secured loosely in assembled position. The ends of the bent portions of the tie bars are disposed, respectively, slightly below and slightly above the planes of the top and the plane of the bottom of the tray, as shown in FIG. 10. Keeper bars 50 are disposed through openings 46 and secured in place by pins 41, as illustrated in FIG. 7. These keeper bars are of such shape and dimensions that they will hold tie bars 4S and 49 against undue motion relative to each other and to the load bars when the tray is in use.

The tray illustrated in FIG. 11 also is generally similar to that of FIG. 4, being made up of substantially Hat, elongated load bars 55 disposed on edge and spaced uniformly and provided with elongated openings along their medial lines to receive a plurality of at tie bars S7. Tie bars 57 are of the type shown in FIG. 8 and in assembled relation the alternate tabs 58 are bent upwardly with the intermediate ones 59 being bent down to lock the assembly together in loose engagement to prevent thermally induced stresses and permit relative expansion and contraction of the various elements in use.

At the corners of this tray, short keeper bars 60 are provided to strengthen the tray and square it against distortion in its travel through a heat treating furnace. Keeper hars 60 are of essentially the same form as those of FIG. 4 with the exception that they are shorter, being only long enough to extend through three adjacent load bars. However, as in the showing in FIG. 7, these keeper bars are secured in place by means of pins 41 disposed through apertures provided for the purpose in their end portions.

In FIGS. 12 and 13, an alternative form of grid is illustrated wherein drainage of the tray is improved by the provision of a plurality of apertures 7) through tie bars 71. A short keeper bar 74 is provided at each corner of this grid after the manner of the FIG. ll assembly. Keeper bars 74, however, are only long enough to project through two adjacent load bars '75 so as to square and brace the grid.

The heat treating tray shown in FIGS. lll-16, inclusive, is of the basket type wherein grid G is surrounded by a fabricated, upstanding, open, generally rectangular frame. Grid G comprises six elongated load bars which are disposed parallel to each other and uniformly spaced transversely of the tray. Each load bar 80 is disposed upright and has a horizontally-directed lower or skid portion 81 to ride on the iloor o a furnace (not shown). A plurality of elongated openings S2 are provided at spaced intervals in the sides of load bars 8i) adjacent to portions 81 so that, when these load bars are assembled, openings S2 are registered transversely of the tray in iive series uniformly spaced lengthwise of the tray. The grid also includes tive tie bars 85 which are disposed through openings 32 and have tongue portions Sri disposed between the load bars and out of register with openings 82 to engage the sides of the load bars and thereby retain the tie bars in assembled relation. The grid further includes ten short keeper bars 38 disposed in sets of tive along each side of the tray with each bar extending through registered openings in the outer pairs of load bars S9. Keeper bars S8 square the grid and also keep the tie bars from moving to substantial degree relative to the load bars. Consequently, the keeper bars are provided in widths approximating the lengths of tongues 86. Keeper bars are preferably held in place by means of welds to the load bars, but they may also be secured loosely by pin 4I, as described above.

In assembling the grid of this tray, the procedure described above in reference to the other trays and grids of this invention may be generally followed. Thus, with load bars 80 in position with openings 82 in register transversely of the grid, tie bars S5 are inserted into the grid through said openings and moved lengthwise of the grid so that tongues 86 are out of register with openings S2. Keeper bars 88 are then inserted in place and secured in the grid; and, as the final step of assembly, tongues 86 are turned upwardly to lock in the tie bars loosely in the assembly, the upper ends of the tongue portions being disposed preferably just below the plane defined by the` tops of the load bars, as shown in FIG. l5.

Frame F, as indicated above, comprises a pair of upstanding angle members 90 which define the ends of the tray. Four corner posts 91 in the form of upstanding angle members are secured to the ends of end members 9). The top of the basket is defined by a generally rectangular metal band 92 which is secured to the upper ends of corner posts 91 and supported thereby. Additional support for the top member is provided by means of a pair of spaced column members 94 extending upwardly from and secured to each of the end members. In addition, a pair of column members 95 are provided at the mid-point of the sides of the tray, extending upwardly from and secured to a flange portion of outer load bars 80. A pair of brace members 97 are provided on each side of the tray, running diagonally from the middle portion of the top member to the corners of the tray where they are secured by welds to the ends of the load bars and four corner posts 91.

The grid shown in FIG. 17 comprises generally channel-shaped, elongated load bars 106 and flat tie bars 102 which are disposed through slots 103 in the load bars in register in separate series transversely of said load bars. Tie bars 102 are provided with tongues 165 for loosely locking the assembly together, keeper bars 106 extending through registered slots 103 and engaging tie bars 102 to limit motion of the latter relative to load bars 10i).

It will be noted that the load bars of the several herein disclosed embodiments of the present invention are several times as wide as are the tie bar receiving openings in the load bars. Thus the ratio of the widths of the load bars to the tie bar receiving openings ranges from about 5 to 1, to about 8 to 1 in the several figures of the drawing.

Having thus described the present invention so that others skilled in the art may be able to understand and practice the same, I state that what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is dened in what is claimed.

What is claimed is:

A warp and rack-proof grid adapted to carry loads of articles to be heated through the high temperature in a heat treating furnace comprising an assemblage of a plurality of parallel load bars and a plurality of tie bars, the load bars having vertically disposed side surfaces and elongated openings extending lengthwise thereof approximately on their medial lines, the vertical width of the load bars being several times the vertical Width of said openings, the tie bars extending through said openings of a plurality of load bars and having limited movement therein relative to said load bars and having horizontally disposed side surfaces, and means for locking the load bars `and tie bars together in loose engagement to prevent the creation of thermally induced stresses and to permit relative expansion and contraction of the bars when the grid is heated and cooled, said means including a plurality of notches in one edge of each of the tie bars into which the load bars extend, each pair of notches forming tongues therebetween which are slightly less in length measured longitudinally of the tie bars than the distances to be established and maintained between the load bars in said notches.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,750,039 Feltes Mar. 11, 1930 1,768,157 Shelden June 24, 1930 1,977,299 Bates Oct. 16, 1931 2,601,980 Menough July 1, 1952 2,710,746 Menough June 14, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 128,684 Switzerland Nov. 16, 1928 491,249 Germany Feb. 7, 1930 

